"26 feet of diesel"

The fun begins

Sitting in my driveway right now pondering what the last 7 years saw
for our family in the Sunshine state. It has had its ups and downs
with our first home infested with ticks and every other imaginable
creature...then the things no one tells you about supposed paradise:
hurricanes survived 4 in 2004 and forest fires the next year, high
level of snow birds and others from the blue hair variety, I could go
on... The positives are undeniable marriage, two wonderful sons born
here, landing this great job at ICS, some very good friends here, a
great new dog, and most important first pair of golf holes-in-one.

Twp days before we say farewell Florida...stay tuned for loading truck
stories, we will see if all our stuff fits or if we start auctioning
it off in the front lawn

An Update: Chris K Style

Usually, I take a few minutes on Thursdays to plot out my next blog post... giving thought to what my next entry will be. Today, I am using a different approach - more of a "on the fly" technique - otherwise known as "Iforgotitwasmyturntoblog-ism"

As I fine tune my new approach, I figured I could give you an update of all the behind the scenes items that have happened since I wrote to you last.

The NCAA Bracket Challenge is Over
We had a great turnout this year - over 80 loyal clients joined the fun. If you missed out this year, Sam Ferguson of Averett University was the big winner, pulling in a total score of 1530, while EKU's Steve "this is golf scoring, right?" Fohl managed a game-changing performance of 570. We hope you had as much fun as we did.

The conventions are coming! The conventions are coming!
We're gearing up for our annual tradeshow circuit, ordering new promotional materials, and booking hotels and flights. I'm personally heading out to CoSIDA this year, but ICS will have a presence at ECAC-SIDA and NACDA as well. See you in San Antonio!

Jamie is coming! Jamie is coming!
As most of you probably know, Jamie's moving up to the corporate office in about a week or so. We're excited to have him in the office, but are fairly sure he may second guess the move in mid-February when he treads through 6ft snow drifts on the way to the office. I did a similar move a couple years ago from Miami - and can testify that the winters are a little less pleasant up here. Toward the end of next week, the Daytona office is closing, and the Syracuse office is getting larger (and much louder, too!)

Slapball Rules Modified
Recently, we instituted a policy of a demerit system for players who are not able to play to the level that is expected by regular players in the office. If you fail to score at least 10 pts in any given game, you are promptly demoted to the "ModSquad", which earns your name a spot on the whiteboard and the requirement of winning 2 consecutive games (against a non ModSquad player) to graduate. As you could probably guess, our very own David Rosen has a lifetime sentence to the ModSquad. We've had lots of requests to bring the court with us to the tradeshows, and trust me, we're trying! (the logistics of shipping large tables and swivel desk chairs across the country is surprisingly difficult. I will keep you updated!)

The snow in Syracuse has subsided (for now)
Believe it or not, we are no longer burdened by the snow, ice, sleet, slush and muck that defines our part of the nation for the fall, winter and spring. Summer is lurking around the corner for us, which means we'll be hearing from alot of you soon, and we're ready for you!

So, that's it for me, for now... a little glipse into the lives of us here at ICS HQ. Enjoy your weekends!
ck

Moving to Corporate Office

Since my last post was more SIDEARM related and for those that don't regularly read the blog or have been in a daze since springs sports have started (what is usually crammed into what seems like a three-week timeframe), my family and I are moving back to Syracuse.

Yes, I am one of the few people crazy enough (most actually say stupid enough) to move from the warm and always sunny weather of Florida to the tropical paradise called Central NY. Just ask Chris K and his wife, they did that a number of years ago from Miami and have no regrets especially when walking up the hill from the parking garage in Antarctic gear in mid-December. It's really not that bad and I can say this having lived in Upstate NY for most of my childhood and adult life.

The move will provide the opportunity to contribute more extensively to the ICS mission and of course be able to spend quality time with all of the ICS team members. Of course it will also provide our family the opportunity for spending time with my family and friends, most of which still reside in the Rochester/Syracuse area.

I am sure I will be greeted with the customary Chewbacca apparel, figurines, photos all over my desk when I arrive. I have already begun construction on a retractable "Deflector Shield" staying with the Star Wars theme and expect to have that completed at least in the first week to protect myself and the rest of the customer support members from the stray Nerf gun or wild slapballs.

It's an exciting time for Jodi and I, along with our sons Jansen and Jace (yes , Jodi and I had another baby) and two Great Danes Kramer and Newman who will probably enjoy it the most having a yard to run around in instead of the postage stamp sized brittle St. Augustine-grassed area they call a yard here in Florida.

We begin our trek on April 29th and depart for Charlotte, NC for leg 1. Then leave next day for Harrisburg, PA for leg 2 and then the 4-plus hour drive from Harrisburg to Syracuse. I will try to provide a blog entry for anyone who cares about the trip.

Chris provided a snapshot of my new office home (left), pre-clean and setup.

If you need to get in touch with me office is same as our main corporate office # 315-443-1872 and I will get my extension when I arrive (new extensions and phones will arrive this week) and my new local cell phone is 315-935-6601.

Can't wait to talk to all of you from my new digs, I plan on being the eco-friendly employee on days when weather permits by riding my bicycle into the office (just a short 10.6 mile trek from Liverpool to the Hill, which is 10 miles fewer than my old bike ride into the office when I last worked into college athletics).

Take care, JJ

SIDEARM Development:: How We Do It

Some of the questions I frequently get in my role as “Caretaker” of the SIDEARM software always involve the evolving nature of the system and how we decide which features are added to the system and how those additions are prioritized. I wanted to take a moment today to try and give you an idea of how we approach it.

There are a few different ways that we end up developing features from the site. One is by simply paying attention to what new concepts and ideas are being developed and displayed on the leading athletic sites on the web (like ESPN.com, NFL teams, etc.), popular non-athletic sites that follow a similar “story-centric” model (like CNN.com for instance), and of course a close on our competitors and the features that they release. The origins of story rotators, and the current wide designs that are now commonplace both can be traced back to pioneering efforts from CNN and ESPN, for example.

Another source for feature additions and changes comes from within the company itself, whether it is Jamie drawing upon his many years in the industry, the art team doing some “thinking outside of the box” or just me pondering how to leverage all of the information that we have stored to help both fan and administrators to have a better web experience. There are many small bits and pieces that make your lives easier that you have Jamie to thank for – he is always making suggestions from an SID perspective to help reduce tedious tasks and increase efficiency.

But the predominant source for new features is you – the people that actually use this software every day. There are countless examples of features that are requested by one or more folks that eventually find their way into the system, from major pieces like the splash pages and countdown timers, to little tweaks like being able to control the order in which the newsletter stories are retrieved and being able to add multiple download documents to rosters. We rely on your input to help us improve the system – as much as I feel like I understand the job of a sports information director, every day I learn something new from interaction with you guys that helps me better understand how you use the system, and points us in the general direction of improving it.

So remember, if you ever have any ideas on how to make the system better, or little changes that we can make that will save you time or frustration, please don’t hesitate to pass them along. I can’t promise you that we’ll incorporate every item that comes in and it may take some time to develop and implement the ones we can, but we’ll give serious consideration to any requests.

Happy Easter, everybody!

Hello

Hi! I'm Kate. Like Drew, I am a lowly part-time designer at ICS, but not subject to as much ridicule as he is (that I am aware of). I am terrible at slapball, even worse than Passetti.

This picture is not indicative of what I look like at work. I am usually wearing glasses as my contacts stick to my eyes after staring at a computer screen for so long. Also, my hair is usually curly as I've just pulled myself out of a pool. The first time Drew saw me with straight hair, he did not know who I was and completely ignored me. The expression is spot on.

If you are ever in the office and hear uncontrollable laughter, it is probably me laughing with Breese, Drew, Jesse or Passetti or laughing at ChrisK. I cannot hear this laughter myself as I am wearing large headphones and can often not hear anything but the music, which I dance to in front of the computer. This sometimes results in a slapball to the head. Sometimes just sitting at the computer results in a slapball to the head. I can't win.

When I am not whipping up fabulous sports montages to put at the top of a website, I can be found in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications cursing the fact that I am constantly transitioning from a Mac to a PC and working on a project for a master's degree that will be outdated in a few short years (print journalism, you kidder). Or you can find me, early in the mornings, swimming out my frustrations with this life decision.

My favorite aspect of ICS is the free food at meetings. I love food and I love free things. Don't judge me; I'm a poor graduate student and will be one for the next two years (the whole double master's degree thing because I would actually like to get a full-time job someday, I think).

That's all.

The Designer's Rollercoaster

Designers… we’re the artsy ones of the bunch. The stereotype you’re thinking of is probably right on….sunglasses on the head, haven’t shaved in a couple days, headphones on, caffeinated beverages strewn across the desk and proudly wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops while the vast majority of the office is wearing their khakis and dress shirts. We’ll be the first to admit that we come from a different mold… and yes, we dress like that because it matches our personality. We’re a little off from the norm.

I tend to think that being a designer is a lot like being a writer. When you’re in the “zone” as a writer, the pages flow easy – chapters flying out of your pen as fast as you your hand can write. Designing websites is the same – when the creativity is flowing, you feel like a rock star. Each click of the mouse gives you more confidence that your current project is going to come out amazingly.

But, as high as the highs are, the lows are lower. I’m sure you’ve heard of “writer’s block”… trust me when I tell you that “designer’s block” is just as bad (if not worse).

Here’s an example of how it goes:

You’re cruising along on a project, the ideas flowing easily, productivity at an all time record high... it feels natural, you love your job and you’re beyond excited to finish everything off. Life is amazing.

You’re 65% of the way done and then it happens… could be a phone call, an email that catches the corner of your eye as it comes in, a plane in the sky that you glance at through the window, it could be anything…. you’re working along and all of a sudden…

BAM!

...you’ve just gone from 100mph to 0. Progress has stopped. Productivity is nearing the negative marks. You feel like you’re in the middle of the ocean with only a lifejacket on and no help in sight. You wonder why you ever became a designer to begin with, it’s a terrible profession, and you hate it. Is it 5 o'clock yet?

So now what? How do you get back to the design promised land? It’s not easy, trust me... but here’s what helps me:

1. Draw a penguin on a toilet.
   Yep.. it’s as crazy as it sounds, but an old professor of mine recommended it, and it often works. It’s so random that it flushes[get it?!] out the stoppage that is inhibiting your groove.
   
   
2. Dig up an old album.
   Music, for me, is one of the greatest inspirations, and to this day, certain songs make me think of some of your websites. An old album can do wonders in snapping you out of your creative funk.
   
   
3. Take 5 mins and do something else entirely.
   Like most designers I know, I have toys pretty much all over my desk. When I’m stuck, I’m grab a transformer and work it out. Robots in disguise!
   
   
4. Give up.
   OK...not forever! Just for a little while! Almost every designer I know works on several projects at the same time for this very reason.. when you end up in the design dumps with one project, switching to a different project can help you ease back in (and still be productive)
   

So, I’m not much of a whiner (editors note: my wife and co-workers will disagree) but I think every designer across the world will agree that being creative all day everyday isn’t an easy task. We all have our own ways of celebrating the good times and finding a way out of the designer’s block that inevitably plagues us all, but we refuse to be average. We must deny the cookie cutter!!

So, the next time you see one of our designs that you really like, just think… there’s probably a couple penguins, a few good songs, and probably a transformer or two that helped that design take shape.

Until next time!
ck